Once again, I found myself compulsively drawn towards another Total Bedlam. The monthly Long Eaton based event is long on distance, short on nice things I can say about The Venue, but it doesn't matter. The event is worth every mile and every occasion I get thrown around by that bloody bouncy floor. Why? Put simply its all about the music. With three rooms at each event, the promotors can really go to town, bringing in DJ from ALL genres, from Breakbeat to Gabba and Hardcore Techno, with Freeform, Bouncy and of course Upfront UK Hardcore in between. As well as that, the range of DJs is just as impressive as the styles they have chosen. Whether by accident or design, "The summer sizzler part 2" was a nexus for the finest Hardcore producers in the UK to showcase their talant. Styles and Recon were headlining in the main room for Raverbaby, but this was very much the tip of the iceberg. Its a testament to the promotor's dedication to bring as much variation to the lineup as possible and the flyer proved this. Cube::Hard for RFU, Stormtrooper for Thin & Crispy, OliG for Camel, Lee UHF for Bedlam, Kurt for Quosh, Jordan Lost Soul for Nu Energy, these are just the ones I remember, you can bet your bottow dollar I'm missing out a lot, but it would be rude not to forget the obiligatory MC lineup of Friction, Ketes, Gazy J, Ortie, Obie and Dizzyvibe MC. If that weren't enough, the "Tomorrows world vs. Faction" arena would provide all the Hardness you can handle. It was the only option for me, I always say my ideal rave would be one where no two tunes are played twice, with the amount of innovation in the area, it just might happen tonight. Best of all, the only drawback, the mammoth drive was abely taken care of by Mike Moron, which meant I had no excuse. Head into London, leap into the Moronmobile, say hello to Mike and Paul Z, then hang on as we were piloted to the venue. In the end, we got there a little after 11. It was later than I had wanted, but it was unavoidable. After negotiating the entrance (which was search free and polite btw) I learned my first dissapointment of the night, namely missing Cube::Hard's set. I was expecting great things from this man and I was bitterly dissapointed to say the least and I know I werent the only one. So I made up for it by pinning the man himself against a wall and demanding a tracklisting. Not that it helped, but at least I could tell what I missed, namely a set filled with tunes like "Snap", "Equlibrium", "Something pure" and the remix of "Micro". No time to be too dissapointed though, cos one climb of the stairs and a quick shuftie of the main arena and I saw OliG behind the decks, hard at work entertaining the assembled crowd. However the decks were not in use at all. On the contrary the tell tale open apple on top of the turntables told me it was a live PA. In the event, problematic equipment meant an early end to the PA, with the DJ taking to the decks to overcome an intermittent cutting out of the music. Thankfully, after a shift to the vinyl and the CDs the set was silence free. Musically it was very obscure and dark, with most freeform being a mystery to me, this set was particularly obscure. However, in terms of dancing hard and loving it, it was up there with the best of them and the only way I can think of to bid goodbye to someone off to sunnier climes. As soon as Oli's set was over, I was straight down the stairs. There was another DJ I desperately wanted to see and I weren't going to miss him. Socialising (good though it is at Bedlam) could wait, DJ Kurt was on in arena 2. I'll be honest here and say I've only ever heard of him from his notable efforts with "Rock Ya Hardcore", however, I was curious to see what sort of tune selection he would plump for and I was not dissapointed in the slightest when he came up with the goods. In a pleasent mixing of influences, the only way I can describe his set is to compare it to others, however, its not a bad thing to be compared to the best in the business, especially when he put together a rock solid bouncy Hardcore selection and scratch-a-thon Sy would be proud of, as well as mixing in a smattering of Gabba as good as any Dutch artist could hope for, not forgetting ample demonstration of his love of his music by going for it behind the decks (which brought back memories of many a good Mark EG set). If that weren't enough, the music selection was off the hook in no uncertain terms too. With a knowing nod to his most successful track in the form of an early showing of "Rock Ya Hardcore", as well as a heavy leaning towards his newest creations, including "Rough ride provider", "You wanna Rock" and "Kick Ya". All in a top set from someone I had only heard in name 45 minutes earlier. The next set meant another trip back up the stairs, but with Lee UHF on the decks, I knew it wouldn't be a wasted journey, especially with what was in store with regard to the MC situation. When I'd finally found a piece of the dancefloor that weren't going up and down, I managed to get into the music. In keeping with the tone of the rest of the evening, a lot of what UHF came up with during his set was pretty much unknown to me. However, with a distinct nod towards the faster paced corner of his record bag, I was more than happy to stomp away to a set which whilst not full of anthems, had the occasional sneakily placed tune which got me rushing, hard. I am of course talking about the only two tunes I managed to recognise, namely the remix of the classic "Timebomb" and his set finisher, "Hardcore machine" which I think (but I'm not sure) had also been remixed for this occasion. However what really grabbed my attention was the antics on the mic whilst Lee was supplying the music. Whilst Obie was in control for the majority of the set who kept it professional and competent (apart from occasional references to Lee HIV), the comedy genius was firmly in the hands of Gim and Immz (AKA MC Mun-T). Gim, for his efforts dedicated a good proportion of his input to Mole, getting the majority of the crowd to sing along to his antics, however, more of the random stuff came from Immz, amongst other things, advocating "Maximum violence to children" and the inevitable proclamation of "Whoop Womb" to the set. Next up were the headliners of the night. For once it meant no negotiating the stairs to see who I wanted to next, and as the arena filled up, Styles and Re-Con took their place behind the decks. Another in a long line of Hardcore producers to entertain me that night, it was fair to say this was the set which was the busiest of the night, but far from sticking to what they would play for a run of the mill night, it was another set which held a lot of surprises. The only way to appreciate this set was to get on it on the dancefloor. I knew I only had a limited amount of time in this arena so I made the most of it. The DJs, for their efforts, did the same. Starting off with what sounded like a remix of "Raveheart", the Djs continued in a similar vein, alternating between tunes I recognised, such as "Getting better" and "Angel Eyes", with lesser known tunes like "Nightmare". However, I was just getting into in when I had to tear myself away. I didn't want to, but the one like The Lost Soul was on downstairs. Its not often Jordi plays out so I wanted to see him. This meant going down the stairs for the final time of the night. When I arrived, Jordi was just about to get started. When he did (MC free as well for total concentration on the music), teasing the assembled ravers with a self made intro, before letting us have it with the kick drum. As was to be expected, the Lost Soul came up with only the best of the Freeform he is known for. This was my final set of the night, so it was fitting that I was dancing to tunes I didn't recognise, but loved anyways, I got past the point of caring pretty quickly, unrecognisable they may have been, but they were awesome to rave to, not to mention tastefully strung together by the DJ. It was only at the end of the set that I finally managed to get a few tune names, and yes I cheated by asking Jordi, but I wanted to know what had moved me so much. His personal highlights Included "Natural Instinct", "Mindscape", "New world order", "Love can destroy" and "Outerspace". Things I liked: Lineup - Fantastic lineup, I dont know if it was deliberate or not, but pooling all the producers in one night was a very good idea. Music - As a product of the previous paragraph, the music was out of this world. MC free second room - For all the time I was in there, the second room was MC free. Dont get me wrong, the MCs upstairs were doing a good job, but it was nice to have the choice of a vocal accompanyment or not if you'd prefer. DJ Kurt - All the DJs I saw were good, but this guy especially impressed me. The Force is strong with this one. Things I liked less: No shows - Throughout the night various artists failed to show up. MC Rude and Stormtrooper were both missed. Early sets - I was thoroughly gutted to miss Cube::Hard's set. Must.Get.There.Earlier. Bouncy floor - hate it, Hate it, HATE IT!!!!!! Another Bedlam, another monster mission to get there and another feeling of it all being worth it when I got home. Okay I weren't behind the wheel on this occasion, but even if I was driving it would have been worth it. Hell, give me a skateboard and I'd have got there eventually. Its worth going to Bedlam becuase of the music and the social aspect. Musically I have ALWAYS been entertained at Bedlam. I know of very few nights which push the envelope as hard as these guys do and I will keep coming back as long as this continues. With monthly nights, free parties and a night to Bristol planned, it dont look like they are giving up just yet. This means I will be back for more. But the next best thing to awesome music is random behaviour in the company of good friends. In this respect Bedlam is always worth the trip. You name it, its happened up there in Long Eaton. From Dez getting his anal beard waxed to me (And Dave Skywalker and anyone else in the vicinity) getting the least erotic lapdance I have ever experienced just before leaving. As well as finding time to talk to people I've never really chatted to properly before, Bedlam feels like a big houseparty in this respect and is just as addictive. I'll be back for more very soon. Shouts to: Mike, PaulZ, CDJay, Chywynny (nice to meet you), Sarah Wiles, Platinum, Fracus, Mad vic, Arwen, Shazza and Dave Skywalker, Ben ST, HB, Ponder, Mozz, Sarah, Legs, Gammer & Nat, Wiggi, Samba D, Gim, Immz & Gurning girlie, Chickpea, Iwolf, TTE, Styles, Recon, Jordi Lost Soul, Kurt, Cube::Hard, Dodgee & Emily, Oli G, *Lisa*, Lee UHF (Thank you very much), Joey Riot (nice to see you again), Kurt, Friction, Obie, Ortie, Keyes, Dizzyvibe, Sawyer and anyone else I forgot.
